South Korean police investigated President Yoon Suk Yeol's office on Wednesday over the imposition of martial law last week, reports said, as some of his top officials were arrested , to be detained and questioned about their actions in carrying out orders.
The developments come hours before the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party files a new motion to impeach Yoon as the country's top law enforcement agencies widen their investigations into whether the publication of the head- sitting in revolution. The first impeachment attempt failed last saturday when the ruling party took the vote. The Democratic Party said that they aim to put the new motion to a vote on Saturday.
Yonhap news agency said police are investigating Yoon's office but did not provide further details. Police and Yoon's office did not immediately confirm the report.
The country's main law enforcement agencies are trying to determine whether Yoon and others involved in the imposition of martial law committed the crime of rebellion.
The court agreed to arrest the former minister
Earlier on Wednesday, Yoon's former defense minister, Kim Yong Hyun, was arrested after a Seoul court approved a warrant on allegations that he played a leading role in a coup and committed abuses. power. Later in the day, National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Ji Ho and Kim Bong-sik, head of the Seoul metropolitan police agency, were detained for their actions during martial law.
Their roles in sending police forces to the National Assembly to prevent lawmakers from voting to lift Yoon's martial law order are being investigated.
On Wednesday, Shin Yong Hae, the commissioner general of the Korean Correctional Service, told lawmakers that Kim tried to kill himself at a detention center in Seoul. He said that Kim's suicide attempt failed after center officials stopped him and that he is now in stable condition.
At the same parliamentary committee meeting, Justice Minister Park Sung Jae confirmed that Kim's suicide attempt had failed.
Yoon's power grab has paralyzed South Korean politics, frozen its foreign policy and roiled financial markets, sharply reducing his chances of completing his five-year term and casting a turbulent shadow over one of Asia's strongest democracies.
After last week's impeachment motion, conservative party leader Yoon promised that her permanent exit from power would be arranged, saying the party would coordinate with cabinet members on matters state and that Yoon would be relieved of duties during the transition to an early position. selection.
However, the plans were widely criticized as impractical and unconstitutional. The constitution clearly states that impeachment is the only way to suspend the powers of the president and that the president alone has the authority to command the military. The defense ministry said this week that Yoon remains in command of the country's armed forces.
Soldiers deployed on minister's orders: commanders
The Senate was also surrounded by heavily armed soldiers, which army chiefs say were deployed on the orders of the former defense minister. But eventually enough lawmakers managed to enter the parliament chamber and unanimously rejected Yoon's order, making him pick up the cabinet before dawn on December 4th.
At a parliamentary hearing on Tuesday, Kwak Jong-keun, head of the Army's Special Warfare Command whose troops were sent to parliament, confirmed that he had received direct instructions from Kim Yong Hyun to prevent lawmakers from going into the main hall of the Senate. Kwak said the purpose of Kim's instructions was to prevent the 300-member parliament from gathering the 150 votes necessary to overturn Yoon's martial law order.
Kwak said Yoon called him directly and told the soldiers to “quickly destroy the door and pull out the lawmakers inside.” Kwak said he discussed Yoon's order with the commander at the scene and decided there was nothing that could be done, barring the possibility of threatening lawmakers by burning gaps or cutting off the electricity.
At the same hearing, senior official Kim Dae-woo of an anti-military group said that his boss, Yeo In-hyung, asked him if there was room at a military bunker in Seoul to house politicians and people another to be held after martial law was imposed. Yeo is believed to be a close associate of Kim Yong Hyun. Last week, Hong Jang-won, deputy director of the country's intelligence agency, said Yoon ordered him to help Yeo detain some of his political rivals but ignored the order. the president.
Kwak and Yeo are among those facing treason charges against Yoon and Kim, who were suspended by the defense ministry last week.
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